Monday, January 13, 2014

The Courage to Change the Things I Can

I was blessed and encouraged when I read this article. The Lord has been teaching me a lot about keeping my mind stayed on Him in faith so that I can have His "perfect peace". (Isaiah 26:3) One thing that really stood out to me as I read this was, "Courage is born to those who exercise it through faith." I hope that some of you are encouraged by it as well.~Brittany

The Courage to Change the Things I Can

Courage is the most important of all the virtues, because
without courage you can’t practice any other virtue consistently. You can
practice any virtue erratically, but nothing consistently without courage.
- Maya Angelou

Picking up the phone, I heard Michael’s voice on the other
end, “I got an interesting call,” he said. “I just got off the phone with your
doctor.”

That was odd since I had just been to their office that
afternoon. Did they forget to tell me something? Did I leave something behind?

“Uh huh?” I replied. “What did they want?”

“They said that they spoke with you this afternoon, and the
doctor didn’t feel like you had a grasp on the situation. They thought that
perhaps you didn’t realize the gravity of your condition.”

The heat rose in my face as I listened to his words. Clearly
Michael agreed with the choices I had made, so why couldn’t they?

“Your baby,” the doctor said, “if he makes it to term–will
likely have Down’s Syndrome.”

I was okay with that. But by the time I talked to Michael,
Spina Bifida had also been discussed as a strong possibility.

“Spina Bifida?” I gasped with one hand over my mouth. I
wasn’t prepared for that. Life hadn’t prepared me for any of this…

Even so, the choices were clear-cut for us. Children are a
blessing from God. Period.

And so we refused to entertain the idea of termination. And
we refused to undergo any further testing that could potentially harm our
child.

This boy was a gift from the Lord and was to be treated as
one.

Several months later Graham was born, kicking and screaming
his way into this world. Sure he had his fair share of health problems, but
nothing compared to what could have been. In fact other than an allergy to nuts
every health problem he had is behind us.

Life doesn’t prepare us for moments like that, which is why
we must prepare ourselves for the journey. Courage is born to those who
exercise it through faith.

It starts with seeking God’s will for our lives and is
exercised through the choices we make.

As parents, we’re constantly faced with choices that call us
to exercise courage. We started homeschooling when it wasn’t so cool to do so.
It was the early nineties, which brought one of two responses from people.
Either they were absolutely confused by the notion and suggested we were
breaking the law, or they assumed we were religious fanatics out of touch with
reality.

The words of Reinhold Niebuhr come to mind where they nest
in my soul:

God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot
change,
The courage to change the things I can,
And wisdom to know the difference.

Courage is the backbone of faith. Without it we can’t
be a light on a hill that shines through the darkness. With it we step out
alone serving unpopular truth in a world that can’t grasp who we are.

Back in the day my dad often sang the popular hymn to us,
“Tho none go with me still I will follow. No turning back, no turning back…”

And by his example we learned that being different is a
natural part of who we are in Christ.

We’re not called peculiar people because we wear distinctive
clothing or keep our hair a certain way. We’re different because we don’t
conform to pop culture that stands in the way of our faith.

But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy
nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who
hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light; – 1 Peter 2:9

If it hasn’t happened already, the day will come when you
and your husband have strong choices to make. When your only options are to
either stand true to your faith or to give in to opinions around you.

Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be
thou dismayed: for the Lord thy God is with thee whithersoever thou goest. – Joshua
1:9